SIG News
SIG-HFIS
The Special Interest Group on the History and Foundations of Information Science (SIG-HFIS) of ASIS&T seeks submissions and nominations for the 2020 Bob Williams History Awards. There are two awards: the Bob Williams Research Grant and the Bob Williams Research Paper Award. Please find more information about eligibility, submission, and selection criteria below. Note that one need not be an ASIS&T member to submit!
1. Research Grant
The Bob Williams Research Grant will be awarded to an outstanding research proposal exploring the history of information science and technology. Researchers working on all topics relevant to the history of information science and technology are encouraged to apply and will be considered. The grant consists of funding of up to USD $2,000 along with a certificate signed by the chair of ASIS&T SIG-HFIS.
To encourage a diverse range of proposals:
• All topics and disciplinary approaches relevant to the study of the history of information science and technology will be considered.
• Nominees and nominators need not be ASIS&T members.
• Winners need not be present at the ASIS&T annual meeting (but are encouraged to attend).
Award winners shall be selected by a jury appointed by SIG-HFIS. The Chair of SIG-HFIS serves as the Chair of this jury. The Jury shall make one award or none, and reserves the right to designate runners-up if the quality of the entries so merit.
Note that:
• Applicants who have received funding from a Bob Williams Research Grant in the past five (5) years are not eligible to apply.
• Submissions must be in English.
• All funds must be expended by June 30 of the year following the grant.
Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:
• Relevance of the central topic or question to be researched to the history of information science and technology
• Novelty and originality of the proposed research
• Potential intellectual impact in the field and implications for practice
• Quality and feasibility of research design and methodology
Proposals must include:
• A cover letter (no more than 2 pages)
• A brief curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages)
• Research proposal (no more than 5 pages in total), including:
o the topic and question of the project
o an extended abstract identify research objectives and goals (approx. 2 pages)
o Methodology and research design (indicating the current stage of the process) (approx. 2 pages)
o Description of past work and qualifications and experience with similar projects (approx. 1 page)
o a budget detailing how the funds will be expended, attached as an Appendix
Submissions should be emailed to the SIG-HFIS chair at sighfis@gmail.com.
Submissions are due on May 15, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. US Pacific Time.
2. Research Paper Award
The Bob Williams Research Paper Award will be awarded to an outstanding paper reflecting on the history of information science and technology. The award provides a prize of up to USD $500 along with a certificate signed by the chair of ASIS&T SIG-HFIS.
To encourage a diverse range of submissions:
• All topics relevant to the history of information science and technology will be considered.
• The paper may have been previously published or submitted to a journal.
• Winners need not be present at the ASIS&T annual meeting (but are encouraged to attend).
Award winners shall be selected by a jury appointed by SIG HFIS. The Chair of SIG-HFIS serves as the Chair of this jury. The Jury shall make one award or none, but reserves the right to designate runners-up if the quality of the entries so merit.
Note that:
• Applicants who have received funding from a Bob Williams Research Paper in the past two (2) years are not eligible to apply.
• Self-nominations and nominations of others' work are both welcome.
• Submissions must be in English.
Submissions will be judged based on the intellectual and disciplinary traditions in which they are situated, but the following merit criteria will be applied:
• Relevance of the central topic or question to the history of information science and technology
• Significance of the central topic or question
• Presentation of the relevant literature
• Appropriateness of methodology and effectiveness of its application
• Quality of argumentation and analysis
• Potential impact on future research and/or implications for practice
• Quality of writing
Submissions must include:
• A cover letter addressing how the paper contributes to the history of information science and technology
• A current CV/Resume of the author
• The paper, carrying no author identification
The winner(s) will be acknowledged with a certificate presented by the Chair of SIG HFIS during the SIG business meeting at the ASIS&T annual meeting. Attendance at the annual meeting is highly encouraged, but not required. A prize of USD $500 will be distributed by SIG HFIS in coordination with ASIS&T headquarters.
Submissions and nominations for the awards should be emailed to the SIG-HFIS chair at sighfis@gmail.com.
Submissions and nominations are due on May 15, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. US Pacific Time.